Goodbye
by Invader Phoenix
Summary: As his hand grew colder, she thought about how she loved him... And who they really were. ZATR, oneshot.


**THIS IS VERY SHORT. But please, bear with me.**

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><p>"<strong>GET OUT!"<strong>

The seventeen-year-old boy runs out of the house, black trench coat trailing behind him. The footsteps echo through the street in this desperate dash for life. The weapon drops to the ground as he bolts from the premises. Goodbye and good riddance. I will NEVER forgive him for this.

I toss aside the laser I had pointed at his skull and turn around. At the sight of him, I kneel on the floor to inspect the poor figure that lies on the cold metal.

His eyes are closed, gloved hand brushing the dark green bloodstain on his uniform. That tiny chest is barley moving. I grab his wrist to check his pulse, but his squeedilyspooch gives me only a light, fluctuating beat. At this, tears roll down my eyes and I scream.

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP! GET UP, YOU WORTHLESS DEFECT! YOU AREN'T THIS WEAK! ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO BE THIS BIG OF A DISGRACE? ZIM! WAKE UP! Wake... Up…" The sound of my cries fades into the freezing metal walls of his base. I let go of his wrist and bury my face in my hands. This isn't the time for screaming.

The only thing is…

I don't know what else I can do.

All of that time, wandering, trying to get what I thought I deserved. Hate is strong. That burning passion, that desire to cause him misery… It filled me for all that time. It was why I came back.

But hatred can only go so far.

Slowly, slowly, that dark shadow, that plague that was vindictiveness… It began to lift off of my soul. It started with the slightest admiration of his determination. Then there came the thoughts of the humor his mistakes brought, the discoveries of a few of his good qualities (even if the list isn't too long), and even the realization that he looked… cute with that short little frame and ruby eyes.

Love.

The word scares me. Love… Irkens don't love! Especially not Invaders! Only a defect can love.

But, now, as I sit here, pulling his cold hand up to me, I feel that it may not be such a bad thing.

I blink slowly, tears disturbing my vision. It can't end like this. Scarcely breathing; his pulse is getting even slower. Zim is dying.

The Invader I love is dying.

I know he's not really an Invader. But… if he tried, without that Dib kid, and went through about 6,000 more years of training, he could do it. He passed the test once, somehow. Of course, I didn't, and I'm still mad, but now, it doesn't seem to matter quite so much. There's more to life than stature in the Irken army. More to life than obeying those Tall idiots and the Control Brains.

The word _defect_ had always been an insult. But not anymore. I think that the definition of defective is opposite what I'd known. The control over the Irken Empire is based on erasing strong bursts of emotion. Wiping out an individual's free will. If that happens, they are completely bent to the will of the empire. They can feel, but they are being controlled. No extremes. No love. But then, isn't that a defect in itself? Think about it:

Who is the defect- the one who CAN feel, or the one who CAN'T?

Suddenly, I want to be the enemy. I don't care about being accepted. Before, I was wrong about what is important to me. Some things change. I still desire success, but not for the Tallest. I want to be free. I need things that that empire can't give me.

I snap out of my reflection. His hand is getting colder, colder… I tear the glove off of the appendage, trying to feel closer to him during his last moments.

I breathe out heavily. This is my last chance. My last chance to tell him everything I need to.

"Zim... I don't want to say goodbye. But this is it. I'm sorry. First, because I couldn't save you. I'm too late. He was already here… Second, I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused. Despite all of the… 'unique traits' you have, you don't deserve anything I did. And third… I'm sorry that I never told you… I love you. There are things I still don't understand, but I do know that you aren't a defect. No matter what, you never were. Ever. The only thing I really regret is that we didn't know it before." I take one last moment. "I love you."

I lean down and kiss him. I've never done it before. Probably never will again. His lips are cold as ice. A tear rolls down my face and slightly burns his skin.

I pull away slowly. Grabbing his unmasked hand once more, I lay my free one on his chest. Time passes slowly. But there will never be enough.

His muscles limp.

His chest stops moving completely.

There's no more pulse.

Zim is gone.

Letting out a wail, I collapse on top of him. I have never cried before now. Crying was weakness. But now, I just don't care. I will cry until I fade into nothing, if that's what I must do. He's dead.

Sobs ring around the room.

It's too cold.

…

…

…

…

…

…

There is a hand on my back.

"T-t-t-… Tak?"

I lift my head.

A pair of ruby eyes stare back at me.

Things will never be the same. For either of us.

But I don't have to say goodbye.

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><p><strong>ZIM LIVES! It actually is possible for a person's heart to stop beating for a period of time and resume after a couple of minutes. It is rare, I think, but possible.<strong>

**I hope you enjoyed! :)**


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